Amanda Puckey clearly remembers her inaugural Disney cruise experience.

“As we walked down the corridor, I noticed families adorning their doors with magnets, and I turned to my husband and said, ‘We weren’t ready for this,’” she recounted about her trip in 2019.

Other guests were showcasing a variety of decorations on their cabin doors.

“One woman overheard me and said, ‘It really helps you identify your room, especially when you have children,’” Puckey shared.

Ultimately, her family had no trouble at all finding their neighboring staterooms on that initial cruise.

“We were the only ones with plain doors,” she remarked. “It’s a really common practice.”

Decorating windows that face the walkways at some Walt Disney World resort hotels is also gaining popularity, although it’s less common.

“It gives guests a chance to personalize their rooms, create excitement for the kids, and display their favorite characters in the windows,” explained Bruce Beil, owner of 407&Beyond Vacation Company, a travel agency that focuses on Disney trips. “It adds that extra sprinkle of magic.”

Whether decorating doors or windows is enjoyable for Disney fans, there are some important tips for newcomers.

Locations for Decorating

“Most window decorations occur at places like All Star resorts, Pop Century, and Art of Animation, which are frequented by families, but it’s not limited to just budget resorts,” Beil added.

“Creating your own window decor is part of the fun,” he continued. “It lets people express their creativity and is a great way to enhance the vacation experience.”

Generally, guests decorate the inside of their resort room windows and the outside of their cruise cabin doors using items they’ve brought along.

Rules for Decorating

“Definitely verify the guidelines set by the cruise line, cruise ship, or resort,” Beil emphasized.

Not all cruise lines permit decorating cabin doors. While Disney Cruise Line does allow magnets, some concierge-level staterooms have wooden doors that cannot be decorated. Adhesives and over-the-door hangers are typically not permitted.

Guests can find a variety of customizable magnets on platforms like Etsy and Amazon, or they can get innovative with magnetic hooks.

“Some guests go all out for holidays—like Christmas—hanging decorations like garland. You never know what you might encounter,” Puckey said. She fell in love with Disney cruises and subsequently became a travel planner for them with Academy Travel. Together with her husband, Jeff, they created the Facebook group Disney Cruise Line Tips, Tricks, and Planning for EVERYONE.

Whether you’re at the resort or on a cruise, the main goal is to avoid causing any damage.

A post from a planDisney panelist in January explained:

“Guests can adorn windows as long as the items used will not harm the windows or pose difficulty for housekeeping to remove after checking out. Good options are vinyl window clings, banners, or even a couple of strands of lights secured with mini suction cups. I’ve also spotted cute signs and plush toys on window sills.”

Popular window decorations often include cardboard cutouts, streamers, and balloons.

However, Beil cautions against one thing: “Avoid using any images of the people inside, especially children’s pictures. It’s something to reconsider.”

How to Decorate

Nikki Wynne has been adorning the windows of her resort rooms with decorations since 2018. She even created a Facebook group called Most Magical Windows on Earth to exchange creative ideas with others.

“I wanted something unique; that’s why I hand-draw all our window artwork, mostly with help from my daughter,” she explained. “If we don’t draw it ourselves, we look for decorations that fit our theme together.”

They like to change window themes for each trip.

“We’ve had birthday themes for both her and me,” Wynne shared. “For the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, I decorated with Tiana and some of her friends. I’ve also created decorations for the (EPCOT International) Festival of the Arts and Christmas.”

Much like the celebration buttons worn at the parks, many guests decorate to commemorate special occasions and holidays.

“You can keep it simple or go all out,” Wynne said. “I just enjoy it and love spreading the magic.”

While not every guest likes DIY decorations, she enjoys wandering around during resort days to admire how others have decorated their spaces.

The Puckey family began decorating their cabin doors after their inaugural sailing.

“Now, we’re that family that immediately puts decorations on our door,” she chuckled.

Over time, their collection of magnets has grown significantly.

“You can have as many themes as you like. Many of us with young kids go for 10 different characters. It reflects their favorites at that age, and you’ll appreciate it later,” she noted.

When not sailing, they store the magnets on their refrigerator and reminisce about the fun times. “Decorate as lavishly as you want, but also be mindful of your budget. Regardless of how much you do, you’ll enjoy your door decorations,” she advised.